


your song

by todorokislion



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Music, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Music Lessons, Song fic, akaashi is a piano major, akaashi uses hotmail, bo is .. bad at piano.., bo plays upright string bass, soft, theyre music majors, your song by elton john
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22123672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/todorokislion/pseuds/todorokislion
Summary: “Bokuto-kun, with these grades, it’s very unlikely that you will pass Piano 3.” Koutarou looked up to see a sympathetic gaze staring back at him. He knew his teacher wanted to help him, but there was no way he could pass without doing extremely well on the final. He felt hopeless, like there was no possibility of getting a good score on the test. “However,” Takeyuki continued, “there may be a way to help you get better.”Koutarou’s heart soared. It took all of his willpower not to jump out of his seat and shout to the heavens. “How, sir?”His professor chuckled. “I can set you up with a student who can tutor you. I’ll contact him later and let you know if he’s available.” He smiled warmly, and Koutarou returned it.//or, bokuto is very bad at piano and akaashi teaches him his ways.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	your song

**Author's Note:**

> WOW has it been a hot minute since i last posted. y’all have no idea how full my WIP folder is. it’s insane. but i’m workin on it.
> 
> anyway, did i self project into this fic? yes. am i bad at piano? yes. do i play upright bass? no. i play violin. but i sure as heck love the bass.
> 
> this is inspired by Your Song by Elton John. give it a listen if you haven’t heard bc it’s a very bokuaka song! i hope u enjoy!! :D

Koutarou peeked into his piano instructor’s office and tapped on the door.

“Ah, Bokuto-kun,” Takeyuki-sensei greeted him warmly. “Come on in.”

“Hi,” Koutarou sat down in the chair adjacent from the desk with Takeyuki behind it. The office was bright but small, and it had a few plants in it that made him feel calm. And, of course, the owls. Koutarou wasn’t sure why he had such an obsession with them, but he couldn’t say he blamed him. They were also Koutarou’s favorite. 

“Y-you wanted to see me, sir?” He fidgeted with his hands and bounced his leg.

“Ah, yes.” Takeyuki’s friendly expression dimmed. “It’s about your performance in class.”

Koutarou squeezed his eyes shut. Yeah, he knew that was coming. For some reason he just couldn’t get the hang of piano. After all, he was a string bass player, so he shouldn’t be expected to be  _ great  _ at piano. Using both his hands to play different things on the keyboard was extremely difficult for him. Sure, he had to do different things with his hands playing bass, but this was somehow harder for his brain to grasp. Koutarou sighed. He wasn’t bad at piano, he was terrible. It was a blessing that he had an easy grader for an professor for Piano 1 and 2. 

Koutarou didn’t understand, he practiced  _ so _ much. Or, as much as he could. His double bass instructor kept him extremely busy with new pieces and exercises to play, so he was always diligently practicing during what little free time he had. 

“Yes sir.” He kept his gaze on his hands.

“Bokuto-kun, with these grades, it’s very unlikely that you will pass Piano 3.” Koutarou looked up to see a sympathetic gaze staring back at him. He knew his teacher wanted to help him, but there was no way he could pass without doing extremely well on the final. He felt hopeless, like there was no possibility of getting a good score on the test. “However,” Takeyuki continued, “there may be a way to help you get better.” 

Koutarou’s heart soared. It took all of his willpower not to jump out of his seat and shout to the heavens. “How, sir?”

His professor chuckled. “Other than practicing, which I  _ always _ recommend, I can set you up with a student who can tutor you. I’ll contact him later and let you know if he’s available, if you want.” He smiled warmly, and Koutarou returned it.

“That would be amazing! Thank you so much, Takeyuki-sensei. This means a lot!” He stood up from his chair. “I promise, I won’t let you down and I will pass this class!” For the first time, Koutarou left the office feeling hopeful about his piano class.

~+~

_ Bzzzz _ .

Koutarou’s phone vibrated as he was walking to class later that day. He pulled it out and checked it.  _ That was fast! _ he thought, seeing Takeyuki’s name with an email notification. He tapped on it and quickly read the email.

_ Bokuto-kun, _

_ The tutor I had in mind is available! His name is Akaashi Keiji and he is attending this college as a freshman piano major. He is extremely talented, and I think his skills can benefit you. Here is his email: _

_ akakeiji@hotmail.com _

_ Happy Practicing! _

_ Takeyuki _

Koutarou fought the urge to shout in celebration. He would send an email immediately to Akaashi and ask when he was available! 

As soon as he sent it, he called his best friend, Kuroo, a percussion major. 

He immediately picked up, “Hey, hey hey, Bro-kuto! What’s up?” 

“Kurooooo!” Koutarou yelled, “I’m getting a piano tutor!” He reached the door to the building where his class was and waited by it until he hung up.

“Bro!” Kuroo yelled back, “that’s awesome, bro! Who is it?”

“His name is Akaashi and he’s a piano major!” Koutarou couldn’t keep his excitement in. He was finally going to improve at piano!

“Ohhhh,” Kuroo said, “I think I’ve heard of that guy. Kenma knows him, they’re in the same year. Apparently he’s really good.”

He pumped his fist out. “Yes! He can teach me his piano ways!” He looked at his watch, seeing that he only had five minutes to get to class. “Shit, bro, I gotta go to class. I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Hell yeah, dude. Have fun in class!” They said their goodbyes and Koutarou hung up. He made it to his class on time, miraculously, and managed to suffer through the entire period. He felt his phone buzz with a notification, but he couldn’t check it because his professor was a stickler for phones. Koutarou fidgeted for the rest of class after that.

As soon as his professor dismissed them, Koutarou all but bulldozed over the other students when he was leaving. Eagerly fishing his phone out of his pocket, he felt himself bump into someone. He looked up, startled, and was about to apologize when he got a good look at the stranger. He was shorter than Koutarou, but he wasn’t  _ short _ , necessarily. He had black hair and a beautiful, like model level, face that made Koutarou immediately turn red when they made eye contact. 

“U-uh…,” he sputtered, “I’m so sorry for running into you!”

The stranger just blinked and shrugged. “It’s okay, it happens.” And with that, he was gone. Koutarou stood there for a second trying to compose himself.

He shook himself like a dog and tried to remember what he was doing.  _ Class, homework, dinner… oh! The notification! _ Koutarou got his phone out and checked. It was from Akaashi!

_ Hello Bokuto-san, _

_ I would be happy to tutor you in piano. I am free on weekends if that works for you. Does around 1pm sound okay? _

_ Best, _

_ Akaashi _

Koutarou immediately wrote back and solidified the schedule for this weekend.  _ This is going to be great! _ he thought.  _ Only two more days of classes before I master piano with Akaashi! _

So, Koutarou suffered through more classes, but his mind was on one thing: the lesson. He wondered what it would be like, what Akaashi would be like. He found himself daydreaming in class, only snapping back into reality when his professors called on him for an answer to a question.

Finally,  _ finally, _ Saturday came and Koutarou headed to the music building to reserve a piano practice room for him and Akaashi. He shot him an email with the room number he occupied. Within five minutes, there came a knock at the door. 

“Come in,” Koutarou called. He was sitting on the piano seat, staring at the keys and praying to the musical gods that it wouldn’t betray him today. 

The door opened and in walked Akaashi. With a jolt, Koutarou looked up and immediately recognized him as the person he ran into two days ago after one of his classes. Heat rushed to his cheeks but he tried to push it back down.

“Hey, hey hey! You’re Akaashi?” He stood up and Akaashi nodded. “You’re the guy I accidentally ran into the other day!”

Akaashi lips turned up a little. “Yes, that was me. Bokuto-san, was it?”

Koutarou pointed his thumb at himself. “That’s me!” He sat back down at the piano, leaving space for someone to sit beside him. “So, yeah. I suck at piano.”

Akaashi put down his bag. “Yes, your professor emailed me about that.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice. He sat down next to Koutarou at the piano. “But, I’m here to help.”

“Thank you, Akaashi!” He placed his fingers above the keys. “What should I do first?”

He thought for a few seconds. “Play a C major scale, both hands, and let’s start with one octave.”

Somehow, Koutarou managed to mess it up. His fingers got all twisted and his left and right hands just didn’t work together at all. “Aghhh! Why won’t it work? I can play it on my bass, it should be easy on piano!”

Akaashi tapped his finger on his chin in thought. “Well, that is an entirely different instrument. But your technique could be better, and that’s only part of it…”

The rest of the lesson went on and by the end, Koutarou felt like he had actually improved; he could actually play a C major scale with both of his hands now! When they were done, they stood up and collected their things from the room.

“Thank you, Akaashi!” Koutarou grinned big, hoping his gratitude showed. “You helped me so much and I will practice what you’ve taught me!”

Akaashi gave a small smile in return. “No problem, Bokuto-san. You have definitely gotten better since the beginning of the lesson.”

“Really?” Koutarou’s eyes widened and his heart panged. “Have I really?”

Akaashi stared up at him with a soft but sincere gaze. Koutarou felt a shiver run down his spine. “Yes, Bokuto-san. You have.” His voice was quiet. 

Koutarou threw his hands up in the air and smiled so big that it hurt. “Yes! I’ll pass this final!”

Akaashi let out a quiet chuckle. “I think you will, too.”

~+~

The lessons happened every weekend, and with each one Koutarou improved. It was all thanks to Akaashi. He was a great teacher and gave him helpful tips to guide him in his own practice. It also helped that Koutarou thought Akaashi was cute. He got an idea. 

If, by some miracle, Koutarou passed his piano final, and class as a whole, he would play something for Akaashi that he worked on by himself. If he didn’t? Well… he would still do it. He wanted his friend (friend!) to know how much he appreciated him giving him lessons on the weekends.

And, yes, Akaashi was getting to be one of Koutarou’s closest friends. Akaashi seemed to just  _ know _ him, which was crazy considering they’d only known each other for the latter half of the semester. He knew how to deal with Koutarou’s “emo mode,” when he just felt like he couldn’t do anything and he wasn’t actually improving. Akaashi was the one to bring him out of it. He was the only person to be able to do it in a relatively small amount of time. 

They’d started hanging out as actual friends after about 3 weeks of lessons. Koutarou really enjoyed his company. Sure, he was quiet. But when he talked, Koutarou could listen for hours. It was the only time he was silent. He loved hearing Akaashi speak, he loved learning about Akaashi’s life, and he just loved watching Akaashi as he spoke about something he was passionate about. Their talks led Koutarou to find out that they had both played volleyball in high school and loved it, but their love for music had won over it when they chose to go to school for music.

Koutarou was no vocalist, but he thought he had a pretty good voice. That’s what led him to picking a song that he could sing along with to play for Akaashi as a thank-you gift of sorts. While talking to him, Koutarou found out that they both really liked Elton John, specifically  _ Your Song. _ And that’s exactly what Koutarou decided he was going to play. He’d printed out the music and began practicing both the piano and singing (the singing happened more often than not in the shower) and it was really starting to come along. And he was happy with the results.

Koutarou’s final exam was in three days. He had been practicing both by himself and with Akaashi for weeks, and he could say confidently that he felt ready for it. It was all thanks to Akaashi.

“You’re ready for it, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi’s eyes were bright and encouraging, and Koutarou was beginning to feel lost in them as they stood outside a practice room. They had just finished another practice session. His heart pounded with the praise. “You can play the scales backwards and forwards and your repertoire piece is coming along nicely.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Akaashi.” Koutarou grinned at him. “I can’t thank you enough, seriously.”

He just shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I enjoyed teaching you. You’re a great student.” 

He couldn’t stop the red that was rushing to his cheeks. He needed to tell Akaashi how he felt. “Hey, Akaashi-“ But Koutarou was cut off by his cell phone ringing. He took it out of his pocket and saw that it was Kuroo. “Shit, I’m late for rehearsal. That’s Kuroo probably wondering where I am.” He gave Akaashi a sympathetic look. “Sorry, I gotta run.”

“No worries.” He shifted the bag on his shoulder. “I’ll see you for dinner?” Akaashi’s cheeks grew pink.

Koutarou smiled as he began to back away. “Of course. I’ll text you!” He waved and turned to run to the rehearsal room.

When he got there, Kuroo was shaking his head at him. “Dude, you  _ just _ made it. You’re lucky the conductor is running late too.”

Koutarou was wheezing for breath. He needed to get back into shape. “I know, but I was talking to,” -he gasped- “Akaashi.”

Kuroo formed an  _ o _ with his mouth. “I see.” He put on one of his shit-eating grins. “How’s  _ that _ going?”

Koutarou smiled as if he was in a trance. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen. “It’s great.” Kuroo just laughed and patted him on the back.

~+~

It was exam day. Koutarou woke up early to get some extra practice in, and then it was time.

He showed up to the classroom and waited outside for his professor to call him in.

The door creaked open and Takeyuki peered out. “Ah, Bokuto-kun!” He opened the door wider and gestured for Koutarou to come in. “Are you ready? I’ve heard you’ve made lots of progress with Akaashi-kun.”

Koutarou smiled and entered the classroom. “Yeah, he’s great! I’ve improved a lot with him! I feel confident.” He sat down at the piano in the front of the room. 

“That’s good to hear.” Takeyuki grabbed the piano textbook from his desk and flipped through the pages. “Let’s see, you’re doing… this one, right?” He showed Koutarou the music.

He nodded. “Yes!”

Takeyuki set the book down on the piano where Koutarou could see it. “In that case, show me what you’ve got!”

Koutarou took a deep breath. This was it. He could hear Akaashi now, breathing words of encouragement into his ear.  _ You’re ready, Bokuto-san. _

Koutarou placed his fingers in the right position and began to play his piece. He missed a few notes here and there, but overall he would say that he did a pretty good job on it!  _ Thank you, Akaashi,  _ he thought. 

“Well done, Bokuto-kun!” Takeyuki clapped a few times for him. “That is a stunning improvement.” 

Koutarou felt like he was on cloud nine. “Thank you, sensei!”

“Now, let’s test the scales.” He flipped to another page in the book with all the scales. “Play an A major scale for me.”

Koutarou did what he was told and only missed one note. He didn’t even mix up his fingers! He breathed a sigh of relief.

“That was great,” Takeyuki praised. “I think you passed with flying colors.” He wrote a few notes down on his clipboard. “I don’t know how final grades look yet, but I think yours will be very promising.” He smiled warmly and put his hand on Koutarou’s shoulder. “I’m proud of the work you’ve done, Bokuto-kun.” He stepped back to let Koutarou get up from the bench.

“Thank you, Takeyuki-sensei.” He stood and shook his instructors hand. “It’s all thanks to you and Akaashi.”

Takeyuki chuckled. “Yes, but also to you, for all the work you’ve put in.” He made his way to the door, Koutarou following. “See you in Piano 4, my boy.”

He smiled widely. “Yes, sir!”

~+~

“Akaashi!” Koutarou yelled through the phone. “I did it!”

There was a happy gasp from the other line. “I knew you could do it, Bokuto-san. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Akaashi.” His heart was racing. “I can’t thank you enough, but there’s something I have for you. Meet me in practice room 102B.” He hung up before Akaashi could protest. He was never one for receiving gifts. Koutarou just hoped he would like his song.

It took a few minutes, but Akaashi arrived with his hair messed up from the wind outside and his cheeks red. “Hi, Bokuto-san.” He glanced around the room. “What are we doing here?”

Koutarou grinned. “I wanted to play you a song. As a thank you, and a show of all that I can do because of you.” He turned to face the piano he was sitting at, but he didn’t miss the wide eyes and raised eyebrows that Akaashi had.

He fidgeted on the seat and shuffled his sheet music, making sure everything was in place. And then, Koutarou began to play. 

“ _ It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside _ ,” he sang, his voice a little scratchy but in tune. “ _ I'm not one of those who can, easily hide.” _ Koutarou was so concentrated on the music that he didn’t see Akaashi sit on the side of the bench and cover his mouth with his hand. 

Koutarou let everything out, expressing his emotions and feelings for Akaashi. “ _ Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean, yours are the sweetest eyes,”  _ he looked over to Akaashi, who was close to tears, “ _ I’ve ever seen.” _

He kept singing, and eventually the song came to a close. “ _ I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words. How wonderful life is, when you’re in the world _ .” Koutarou finished playing the outro piano notes and let it ring for a few seconds. Akaashi was quiet. He nervously glanced over, only to see that there were tears fully streaming down his face.

“Oh no!” Koutarou gently wiped the tears with his thumb. He had never seen him express this much emotion before. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, Akaashi!” He felt bad. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Was it that bad?

“B-bokuto-san,” Akaashi spluttered, “that was s-so beautiful!” He wiped at his eyes and sniffed, trying to compose himself.

Koutarou couldn’t hold his sigh of relief in. “It was? You really liked it?” Akaashi nodded and rubbed his nose on his jacket sleeve. “That’s good, then!” He took Akaashi’s hands and grew soft. “I-I really, uh, I really like you, Akaashi.”

Akaashi laughed. Like, full on, head back and everything. Koutarou’s eyes widened.  _ Does he not like me back? _ But he finished laughing and moved his hands from Koutarou’s hands to Koutarou’s face. “I like you too, Bokuto-san.” He leaned in. “Thank you for this song,” Akaashi whispered. And he kissed him.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, let me know if you liked it!! idk how, but it was finished in two hours? cool. anyway i highly recommend the song, it’s lovely!
> 
> i’m on tumblr @ todorokislion if you guys want to chat abt these wonderful boys! (i don’t tend to post much but i’m trying to get back into it!! college is. too much.)
> 
> i’ll see y’all in the next fic, i’m hoping to get it done soon but who knows bc writers block is a POOPOO HEAD ok bye


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